Knitting needle with loop retaining



March 6, 1951 E. L. KADlSCH ET AL 2,544,429

KNITTING NEEDLE WITH LOOP RETAINING ATTACHMENT Filed June 2, 1949 INVENTORS.

Ems? L. Kudisch Shirley Kudisch 12 & mar M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 6, 1951 KNITTING NEEDLE WITH LOOP RETAINING ATTACHMENT Ernst L. Kadisch and Shirley'Kadisch,

Westwood, N. J.

Application June 2, 1949, Serial No. 96,735

This invention relates to improvements in knitting needles and more particularly to knitting needles provided with loop-retaining attachments.

An important objector the invention is to provide a knitting needle having means attached thereto which, when in one position, is out of the way of the knitters hands and, when in another position, provides a retaining means to be positioned in order to prevent dropping of the loops from the needle; if the knitting is interrupted, laid aside or thelike.

Another important object ting needle with the loop-retaining attachment described which has no cumbersome parts and,

when the attachmentis in its out-of-the-way position, the needle hassubstantially the appearance of a conventional knitting needle.

Still another important object is to provide a.

knitting needle with attachment as described,

which attachment, altho it includes a length ofstretchable material, as a retraction spiral spring, will not become entangled with the knitting and is readily removed from its loop-retaining pOsi tion, without tearing the yarn or the like.

Another importantobject is to provide a needle containing a loop-retaining portion which includes a preferably slightly dished member, provided with needle-tip accommodating perforations so disposed that, when the member is positioned at the tip of the needle, the memberwill cant slightly thus aiding in retaining it in place.

A further important object is to provide a knitting needle as described which may be readily manufactured,. without employing complicated machinery, and may be marketed ata reasonable price.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in 'connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this disclosure, and in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a View mostly in longitudinal section of one form of the new needle and with the loop-retaining means in its retracted or out-ofthe-way position.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section of the rear end or the needle of Figure 1. V

Figure 3 is also an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal section, but of the needle and loop-retaining means adjacent the needle tip.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a member adapted to be positioned on this tip.

is to provide a 4 Claims. (01. 66-117) Figure 5 is an elevation of the needle of Figure 1, with the loop-retaining means in its retaining position.

Figure 6 is a View partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section of modification of the showing in Figure 1.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown two forms of the invention and wherein similar reference characters, designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, .the letter A designates one form of the invention and the letter B, another form thereof.

Both forms include an elongated tubular needle shank portion having amouth and a flange at one end, an inserted tip at the other end, a ,removable member at the flanged end and normally disposed upon the flange and closingthe mouth but adapted to be positioned upon the tip, since it hasa perforation to accommodate a portion of the tip, and a length of resilient, readily stretchable and flexible material connecting the removable member and the remainder of the The form A of Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5, includes an elongated tubular needle shank portion l0, whichis preferably flared at its rear end section II to provide a rounded mouth l2 and an outwardly curved flange [3, while the opposite or front end section l4 carrie a tip l5 having an outer contour substantially like that of a conven: tional knitting needle and merging into the outer surface of the portion II]. In the example shown, the tip l5 has a circumferentially-reduced shank l6 which is exteriorly screw threaded to be accommodated by interior screw-threads of the end section I4. Thus,'there is provided an elongated chamber ll within the needle A, opening at the mouth l2.

Over the mouth I! is normally disposed aremovable member l8 which provides a closure or guard for the mouth, a means for rounding out the rear end of the needle A, and a device to bepositioned upon the tip l5, as in Figure 5 to retain the knitting loops. Preferably, this member I8 is slightly dished, as is clear in Figures 2 and 4,-and is provided with a plurality of spaced-apart'perforations or openings l9, disposed intermediate the center of member and its rim or edge 20,and adapted to accommodate a portion of the tip 15, as shown in Figure 5, When disposed as in Figure 2 the member IS, in conjunction withthe flange l3, rounds out the end of the needle-A and there are no sharp edges to injure the knitter nor damage the knitting. The portions of the needle A thus described may be of metal, hardened plastic or the like or combinations thereof.

Attached at one end to the member l8 and extending into the chamber I! where it may be attached, at its other end, to the inner end of the shank I6, is a suitable resilient, readilystretchable and flexible. member 2] which is shown as a retraction spiral spring, as of steel wire, having one end secured as by a connecting,

hook at the terminal of one of the last convolu tions, to an eye portion 22 carriedb'y. the member I8 at its axial center, and secured in a likev manner at its other end to an eye portion 23 carried by the shank l6.

While knitting or when the needle A is not in use or not inserted into the loops-t la id aside knitting, the parts are disposed as in Figures- 1, 2 and 3 but when the knitting is laid aside with the needle within the loops the parts are positioned as in Figure 5' since" the knitter may,

readily grasp the member l8 (because its: rim

tubular member in between the member I8 and the flared end' section II.

Upon resuming knitting, the. knitter again grasps the member 18 by its riin..20 and pulls it toward and over thefree end ofthe tip,.whereby the convolutions of the resilientmember (spring)- spread and, consequently, the loops will not be pinched. The member [.8- is then preferably carried in an arc to the rear end section ill and redisposed as in Figures 1 and 2.

The form B, illustrated in- Figure 6, includes an elongated tubular needle shank portion 25, preferably having its rear end section 26- flared, as in the form A, to provide a rounded mouth 2.! and outwardly extending curved flange 28 while its front end section 29 carries a tip 30 provided with a,- hollowed shank 3| having a force fit with the portion 25' and there is provided an elongated chamber 32. A member v33. in general shape simi ar to the member l8 provided having perforations 34 like the perforations I9 and rim or edge 35, but there is no eye portion sim lar to the eye portion 22 since --.we prefer. in this form, to provide a hollow shank 36 of deformable or moldable material to receive one end (as a knotted or enlarged end) of a resilient or stretchable member 3'1 with its other end en arged. as by being knotted and accommodated in the hollow of the .shank 31 and with the material of the shanks 3| and 3,6 upset about the enlargements.

The m mber 33 of the form B is manipulated exact y like the member 18 of form A.

It has been customary for knitters to employ a cork or the like to position upon the tip of a knitting needle in order to retain loops in place but such devices are apt to become lost or mis a'id and become disengaged from the needle too readily. since they are held solely by friction. The loop retaining means jherein disclosed obviates these disadvantages and, in

addition, provides a terminal and protection for the rear end of the needle when in use.

Various changes may be made to the forms of the invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the claims.

What is claimed is: I

1. In combination with a knitting needle having an elongated needle shank portion and a tip Portion, having a chamber opening exteriorly thereof, at one end of the shank portion, a length of v flexible and readily stretchable material secured at one end to one of said portions and normally dis osed in said chamber, and means to. retain a; knitting loop upon said shank portion, comprising a removable member having an opening receiving a section of said tip portion when said removable member is in one position andsaid length is stretched to extend outwardly of said chamber, said removable member being secured to the other end of'said lengthoi flexible material.

2 In combination-with a knittingneedlehaving an elongated tubular needle shank portion with a mouth atoneend thereof and a tip portion at the other endthereof; a lengthof resilient and flexible material secured at one end to one of said portions and extending into said shank portion, and means to retain a knitting loop upon: said shank portion, comprising. a removable member provided with an opening, receiving a section of said tip portion when said removable member isdisposed upon said tip portion, and to cover said mouth; when said removable member is pressed over said mouth, and meanssecuring the other end of. said len th of. flexible; material to said removable member, the retracted length of said length .of flexible material being such that, when said removable memberis pressed against the walls of said mouth when in the last-named: position and, pressed upon said tip portion when in the first-named position, said removable member will be resiliently'held in place by said length. of resilient material.

3'. In combination with a knitting needle having an elongatedv tubular needle shank portion with a mouth at one end thereof and a tip portionat theother endthereoia length of resilient and flexible material secured .at one end to said tip portion and extending through, said shank portion, and means to retain a knititng loop upon said shank portion, comprising a removable member provided with an opening, receiving a section of said tip portion when said removable,

member disposed upon said tip portion, and

to cover said mouth when said removable member is pressed over said mouth, and means securing the other end of said length of flexible ma- "terial to said removable member, the retracted length of said length of flexible material being such that, when said removable member is pressed against the walls of said mouth when in the last-named position and pressed upon said tip portion when in the first-named position,

:1 said removable member will be resiliently held in place by said length of resilient material.

ERNST L. KADISCH. SHIRLEY KADISCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D 54,755 Kinney Mar. 23, 1920 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 173,697 Switzerland Dec. 15, 1934 485,743 Great Britain May 24, 1938 

